The specific recipe to make Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream is a company secret. While the ingredients are listed for dietary purposes, the specific amounts of each ingredient is not disclosed. All Dairy Queen products are made with either vanilla or chocolate soft serve ice cream, or a combination of the two. The addition of a variety of toppings are added to the basic ice cream recipe to create different treats. A fan favorite is a Blizzard, which is a choice of toppings blended into chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Customers can also choose a twist, which is chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other.

The first Dairy Queen store opened in 1940, in Joliet, Ill. The ice cream recipe has been virtually unchanged since then, though new products have been introduced throughout the years. The first Dilly Bar debuted in 1955, the Mister Misty slush rolled out in 1961, the Treatzza Pizza came out in 1995, and the MooLatte frozen coffee flavored beverage debuted in 2004. Dairy Queen's slogan, “We Treat You Right,” has been in use since 1985.